


Meet Me At The Corner

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Cats, Depression, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-06 18:49:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20296273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: As Levi struggles to live by himself, loneliness hits him like a truck. With rent to pay and three mouths to feed, loneliness slowly starts to turn into depression. Everything stays the same, until a new kind of energy decides to introduce itself into his life, setting his world on fire - quite literally.





	Meet Me At The Corner

They meet in a coffee shop on a rainy evening as heavy drops of water punch against the large windows. Blue meets grey and Levi spills the hot liquid into a blond man's lap as he tumbles down onto the floor. Everything happens in a second, but Levi feels like he falls for an eternity. The atmosphere around him goes stiff and dozens of eyes set on him.

Being clumsy isn't his biggest trait, but Levi's aware that it's there - it chooses to turn on him in the worst situations. Apologies start to fall from his mouth as Levi scrambles to grab a napkin and place it on the man's table. He receives a glare, and Levi apologizes once more before taking his leave.

"Shit," Levi groans as the door behind him shuts. Sighing, he takes off the wet apron and throws it into the locker. His shift won't end for another hour, but Levi feels like running out of the door right away.

He feels a tap on his shoulder and Levi turns his head around to see a blond giant standing above him - in other words, Mike. "Mind telling me what happened out there?" Mike says in a monotone tone. And Levi only shrugs his shoulders, pressing his forehead onto the cold metal of the locker door. "I slipped, alright? The floor is wet if you haven't noticed." He bangs his head once, twice and then grabs a new dry apron.

"Is the guy still here or has he left already?" Mike nods his head, resting his side on the lockers, "it might be a good idea to make him a new cup of coffee, Levi."

And that's what he does, returning behind the coffee maker, trying to make at least a decent cup of latte for the man. He sees him typing something on his laptop, now having a jacket covering his lap. Levi hopes deep inside that he hasn't seriously fucked that man's day up. He adds a cookie as an extra and makes his way to the table. This time succeeding not to fall, he puts the cup in front of the man, giving him a small smile.

"It's on the house as an apology for causing you so much trouble," Levi says, holding the tray in his lap, waiting for a reply. The blond man only nods his head, before Levi gives up and leaves to tend to the bar. He has other customers to take care of and this one mishap won't stop him from having a nice day.

"So, did you give him the coffee?" Mike asks as he takes his place next to Levi who groans, putting on a fake smile. "Yeah, I did. I can't say he was happy getting it from me," he mutters under his breath.

As everything starts to settle down, the downpour of rain starts to come to a halt. Mike opens the large windows to air out the shop, as the scent of rain starts to overpower the smell of cinnamon. And as it begins to get dark, Levi turns on the fairy lights that hang on the ceiling, lighting up the small shop more.

The amount of customers decreases and Levi finally takes a small moment to relax. He considers making a cup of tea for himself and sit down for a moment, seeing as his shift ends in less than ten minutes.

And that's the joke of it all, when he thinks about it. Levi hates coffee and has always been an avid fan of tea. The bitterness and harsh taste of the dark drink were never his favourite, and Levi prefers to keep it that way. It's ironic in a way, that he ended up here. It might have been the fact he liked the charm of the small corner shop, as it lit up the street outside. Or the cosy atmosphere it held.

The owner, Mike, was very happy to hire him, until Levi explained that he has no idea how to make a cup of coffee. It took a bit of experimenting, but after a few tries, he got the hang of making a basic latte.

A sudden _thud_ next to him pulls Levi out of his thoughts, lifting his head to see the blond man standing in front of him. "I would like to pay," he says, and it's the first time Levi heard him speak. Until he realized what the man wanted to do. "Oh no, the latte is on the house. It was my fault. I should have been more careful," he explains, and the man - thank God - decided not to push the problem any further.  
  
"Very well." And with that, he leaves and Levi feels a huge weight lift of his shoulders. He almost immediately could pinpoint a slight change, the awkwardness of the situation being finally gone. Until there was another presence looming over him. "You do realize that 'on the house' means you'll be paying for those two coffees, right?"  
  
"You don't say."  
  
  
  
Levis's favourite thing, even thought he won't ever admit it, is getting home to his three cats. Having quite companions when he lives alone is both a blessing and a curse. The one who welcomes him today is a spotted cat named Toby, who wraps around his leg, purring his heart out.  
  
Levi scratches him under his ear before heading into the living room to find the other two cats lazing around on the sofa. Zelda, a brown older cat lies on her side while her tail taps the seat, enjoying the peace. On the other side, a big fat Russian Blue lies on his back, relaxing as well. If Levi didn't know better, he would presume that the cat is dead, seeing as he hasn't even acknowledged Levi. Nor moved.  
  
"You alive or not, Erwin?" The cat turns his head, meows, and turns back around, clearly done with any human contact today. Levi rolls his eyes before throwing his bag on the ground and making his way to the kitchen. Toby follows him, his tail swinging in the air, staying close to his foot.  
  
He wasn't always a cat person, but after Zelda has landed into his care, Levi said fuck it and became a full-time cat dad. He ended up adopting Erwin a year later, falling in love with the cat's cuddly nature. Toby was his new find, a kitten that had the energy of a kindergartener. Levi found him under a bridge in a broken box, visibly starving and cold.  
  
When Levi gets into the kitchen, he notices the cat's bowls very empty. After filling the huge bowl with water, he opens the can of food. In that exact moment, he hears the two cats move from the living room into the kitchen, seating their butts behind him. "So now you decided to great me, Lazies?" The cat's meow and Levi turns around to see three pair of eyes watching him with interest and hunger. He lays the bowls down, seeing the cats get into action right away.  
  
Letting the cats have their dinner, Levi grabs a piece of bread and deems it good enough, strolling to his sofa. He turns on the television, letting the dim light cover him, resting finally. His head hits the pillow, closing his eyes for a moment.  
  
He's dead tired and his back is sore. His hair falls in front of his face, as he watches Gordon Ramsay screaming at a shitty chef and a second later a plate flies onto the floor. A series of 'fuck you' fill the room and then Gordon leaves the kitchen. And at times like these, Levi does realize that he is lonely. Secretly, he misses having warmth coming from another person.  
  
Out of nowhere Levi feels the sofa cushion dip a bit, as Erwin jumps next to him, his tail swaying with every move. He plops himself next to Levi's hip, purring with enjoyment. The cats even thought they didn't show it, get very jealous. When one get's attention, the other two start getting antsy, nudging their heads against his leg. This time is no exception, as Toby jumps up on the sofa, watching with interest, before slamming his face into Levi's knee. Zelda is already past her prime and as she walks out of the kitchen, she lies on her bed, not bothering to join others.  
  
In a way, Erwin and Zelda are very similar. Both lazy and not bothered by the world. Levi is sure if the apartment caught on fire, they would go and sleep in the other room. The only difference between them is their color and size.  
  
Levi hisses as Toby stretches his paw and digs his claws into his leg. He rolls his eyes and after a while decides to get up and take a hot shower, making the cats unhappy that their source of heat is gone. He sits in the shower for twenty minutes, enjoying the peace and finally being able to get clean. It helps him get rid of the stress of the day and to forget about the catastrophe that happened today. Levi hopes that it's the last time the man has decided to visit their shop.  
  
When Levi gets out of the shower with a towel on his head and smelling of coconut, he notices that someone texted him. Looking at the caller number, it was without a doubt Mike.  
  
_'Can you come an hour earlier tomorrow?'_  
  
Levi replied with a quick _'yes'_, before throwing the phone on the other side of the bed, flopping onto the mattress. Two furry bodies lay next to his head, quietly snoring away. A tail hits him in the face, and Levi has to manually turn the fat cat around, somehow not disturbing his sleep. He smiles at the peace that radiates from the atmosphere.  
  
In the loneliness, he is at peace.  
  
  
  
"Are you fucking kidding?"  
  
Raindrops are hitting the windows again, making them blurry to the outside, as if something private was happening in the shop. Loving the scent of rain, Levi under normal circumstances works without a problem, feeling as the rain calmed him down.  
  
But now he hopes that he is having a nightmare, deep in a dream, because the man is back. He walks through the door in a navy blue suit and a leather briefcase, a huge smile plastered on his face. He sits on the same spot as yesterday, hair damp and messy. "Mike, pinch me please. And hard," Levi groans, watching the man next to him hold back a laugh.  
  
"You're being ridiculous. Stop moping around and go serve him." Looming around him for another minute, Levi finally gives in and grabs the notepad before heading to the table. He gives him a fake smile, gripping the pencil tighter.  
  
"Hello. What would you like today?"The man looks up, and Levi can pretty much see the man's brain working, reenacting yesterday's disaster in his head. And Levi gulps. "I'll have an espresso with a Biscotti," he says in a monotone tone, closing the menu. Writing it down, Levi turns around ready to leave, before he hears a snarky remark behind him. "This time don't serve it into my lap."  
  
Levi returns to the bar with an order and a broken pencil.  
  
Mike smirks and shakes his head in disbelieve, while Levi throws the pencil into the trash can and gets behind the coffee machine. He hopes his espresso will be extra hot, and the Biscotti dry and tough to chew. "You're frowning. If you keep it up, you'll have wrinkles and look older than you are," Mike says with a pinch of honesty, cutting up the desert.  
  
When he finishes making the drink, he is happy another server decided to bring him his order. For him, it was a good chance to avoid another awkward conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the man looking at him before turning his attention back to his laptop.  
  
For the next two hours, everything was quiet. Customers came and went, orders were sent out and Levi couldn't be happier that things were going fine. The rain outside wasn't getting any better, the wind getting heavier as well. In the distance, Levi could be sure he heard the rumbling of incoming thunder. As darker clouds started to form above them, Mike decided to turn on the fairy lights. In the back of his mind, he thinks of Toby who hates thunder with every bone in his small body.  
  
Everytime it started thundering, the cat would curl up next to him, purring as he takes comfort in the body heat. As much as Toby was a fearless fucker, he turned into stone any time it started raining.  
  
He must have been gone for a while, because Mike rests his hand on Levi's shoulder, asking him if he's alright. He nods, turning back to the order in front of him. Putting everything on the tray, Levi makes his way to the table which was unfortunately right across the man. Setting everything on the table, he sees the man raise his hand.  
  
"How can I help you?" Levi asks, taking the empty cup and plate. "I would like to pay," he replies, this time not having the snarky behavior. But instead of that, he gives him a soft smile, taking out his expensive looking wallet.  
  
He hands Levi a twenty-dollar bill, and as he begins to count how much he needs to return to the man, he gets a simple, "the rest is a tip, keep it." Levi stares at the man, half confused why would the blond give him such a big tip for a three-dollar coffee."Thank you for the huge tip," and the man smiles again before getting up, collecting his things and leaving.  
  
In a hurry, Levi makes his way to Mike in disbelieve with the money. "Was there crack in that coffee or has he hit himself in the head while no one was looking?" He shoves the twenty dollars in Mike's face, trying to prove his point. Mike takes a good look at it and raises his eyebrows. "Well, looks like someone had a change of heart. How about next time he's here, sway you hips a little and make him your sugar daddy." Mike says in an amused tone, receiving a dead stare from Levi.  
  
"Well, maybe you should then invest in a nice thong. I bet our sales would double if you walked around here wearing only that and an apron." And Levi smirks, getting a soft slap on the back. It's the kind of relationship he and Mike created over the past two years. He could even dare to say that they were best friends, spending a lot of time together outside of the coffee shop.  
  
"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Levi asks and Mike nods, a smile forming on his lips. "Nan and I are planning to watch a movie. If I have to guess, it's going to be Titanic again." And Levi winces at that, cause everyone who knows Nanaba also knows her love for the movie - and her five copies of it in different languages."What about you, Levi? Are you going to have another date with Gordon Ramsay? Or is it Jamie Oliver this time?"   
  
Levi rolls his eyes, done with the conversation - because both of them know very well that it's going to be Gordon Ramsey.   
  
His shift end in half an hour, and as he starts to put his things away, Levi realizes that the rain hasn't subsided and continues to pour down. Hard. And in that moment, Levi realizes that he left a crucial item at home - his umbrella.  
  
"Shit," he curses, trying to form a battle plan in his brain of a way to get home in the driest way, which is pretty impossible. He knows that there is a bus stop five minutes away, but the problem is the last bus leaves at the same time his shift ends. Looking at the clock, Levi sees he has ten minutes left.   
  
"Hey Mike. Mind if I leave a couple of minutes earlier? I want to catch the bus." Mike nods his head, occupied with another order. Without wasting another moment, Levi changes grabs his bag and bolts out of the door, rain pouring into his face.   
  
As Levi turns a corner, he sees the bus waiting and for a moment he feels like on top of the world, knowing he won't have to walk. Until the bus speeds up and leaves right in front of Levi's face. "Fuck!" Many profanities leave his mouth as he sits on the bench, taking some cover and hopes that the rain will cease down. Tough shit, because half an hour passes and the rain get's stronger. Levi jumps as he hears a car screech next to him, almost skidding on the wet road.  
  
Another ten minutes and Levi stars to feel cold, the thin jacket isn't keeping him warm very well. Twenty minutes in and the lights go out in the building opposite of him. Thirty minutes pass and Levi gives up, stepping into the pouring rain. It's gotten dark and Levi's pretty sure that seeing one of his neighbors driving home was a very slim chance.   
  
It's not until Levi turns his head that he sees a fancy car stopping next to him. It's a nice black Bugatti with tinted windows. Two possible situations pop up into his brain. He's either going to be kidnapped and sold on the black market or kidnapped and driven away to the other side of the continent, never to be seen again. He wonders who would feed his cats.  
  
None of that happens, and as the windows roll down, he sees the blond man from the coffee shop sitting in the car. He has a more relaxed look, opening the passenger seat doors. "Get in. You look like a wet cat."

Levi gives him a look, wondering if it's a good idea. "How do I know you aren't a murderer?" The man chuckles, and replies with a bit of snark, "how do I know that you're not one too?"  
  
"Touché." The blond laughs, before pulling a towel from the back seat, handing it to Levi. "Get in the car before I change my mind."  
  
And without another moment to waste, Levi does.

**Author's Note:**

> For the first time in a while, I feel like I posted something that I really like. This draft has been on my laptop since January, and after taking some time, I decided to revive it.


End file.
